Anecdotes

Along with José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti, they are known as The Three Tenors.

In 1986, he was awarded the Aztec Eagle medal by President de la Madrid in Mexico. The highest honor awarded to foreigners for goodwill acts in Mexico, for his role in aiding in the search and rescue and in the reconstruction of Mexico City after the earthquake of 1985 where a close aunt and uncle perished in the disaster.

On October 2, 2005, he received the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, recognizing him for his history of performing with the Hungarian State Opera and his love of Hungarian music. The honor is the highest presented by the Hungarian government to non-heads of state.

Recovering from colon cancer surgery, performed at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City [March 9, 2010].

Sesame Street created a character spoofing him, called Placido Flamingo.

He was one of the producers (along with Jose Tamayo, Martin Koch and Cameron Mackintosh) of the musical "Les Miserables" in Madrid. His son, composer Plácido Domingo Jr., was one of the lyric translators.

Over the past twenty-five years (c. 1979-2004), he has become what many consider the definitive Otello in Verdi's opera. It is a role that he has recorded at least three times.

More versions of his Otello have been issued on VHS and DVD - so far - than of any other tenor who has ever sung the role.

Granddaughter is actress and model Ivonne Armant.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 2, 1993.

Was the grand marshal at the East Los Angeles, California Mexican Independence Parade, the largest and oldest (51 years) Hispanic Parade in the United States. (septembre 2010)

2000 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center Honors.

A poll carried out by BBC Music Magazine to find the world's 20 top tenors has revealed that Placido Domingo is the greatest tenor of all time. And of the poll's top ten, he is the only one to still be performing.

He has been named to head the L.A. Opera starting in June 2000.

Grand-Cross of the Order of Prince Henry of Portugal (1 July 1998), Grand-Cross of the Order of the Civil Merit of Spain (21 September 2002), Presidential Medal of Liberty (unknown date 2002), Honorary Knight-Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire of Great-Britain and Northern-Ireland (unknown date 2002), Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour of France (unknown date 2002), International Medal of the Arts of the Community of Madrid (unknown date 2006), unknown Degree of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle of Mexico (unknown date), Medal of the Nation's Sentiments of the Congress of the State of Guerrero, in Mexico (14 September 2010), Order of the Artistic and Cultural Merit Pablo Neruda of Chile (unknown date 2010), Knight-Grand-Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic of Spain (unknown date 2011), unknown Degree of the Order of the Arts and the Letters of Spain (unknown date 2011), Grand-Cross of the Order of the Public Instruction of Portugal (31 August 2018).